Do you know anyone who handles stress really well? They never seem to crumble under pressure or take it out on people around them. However, at the same time, it’s clear that they aren’t just repressing their emotions.
There are plenty of reasons to master this ability in addition to all the ways that it’s good for your mental and physical health to have good stress management strategies.
If you can remain calm, you can do better at work and in personal relationships. You could also be better able to navigate difficult situations because you won’t be coping with overwhelming stress reactions.
Start Practicing Now
The ability to stay calm under pressure is a skill you can develop like any other, and you don’t have to constantly put yourself in stressful situations to practice. You can train yourself to slow down and avoid getting panicky. Some people use meditation to access this ability, but you can regularly do something similar without taking up meditation if you prefer not to. Several times each day, take a moment or a few minutes to just center yourself.
Notice your breathing and what is happening around you. If thoughts drift into your head, notice that they have drifted there, but don’t try to do anything about them. By practicing this, you will better be able to access this skill when you’re thrown into a difficult situation. Being able to take a few minutes to detach and gather yourself can help you meet chaos with equanimity.
Find a Calming Ritual
Over the long term, it’s good to find a few soothing rituals that can help you cope with ongoing difficult situations. For some people, this might be a warm bath. For others, it could be having a cup of green tea or taking a walk. Some people find vaping calming and a good substitute for smoking. If you’d like to explore this, the Crafty+ is a terrific brand that’s backed by one of the top names in the industry, Storz & Bickel. You can get excellent quality from one of their small, ultra-portable dry herb vaporizers.
Consider the Stoics
The Stoics lived thousands of years ago, but people still turn to them to day to learn how to live a good life, especially one in which they can manage their emotions effectively. There is a misunderstanding that Stoics do not like to feel emotion, but this is not the case. They do, however, aim to better control their emotions, and many people believe their approach remains relevant in contemporary times.
There’s no shortage of articles, blogs, podcast and books that can get you started on this path, but there are a few principles that can help you get started. One of the main ones is that negative emotions come from within you, so you need to find a way to control them.
Another is that you should focus on the present and what you can do right now instead of fretting endlessly about the future. Yet another is recognizing that even failure is not the end and is something you can recover from.
